Robert Hood gets minimal again

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    Thu, Apr 30, 2009, 13:45
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  • Fifteen years on from its original release, Minimal Nation will be repressed with previously unreleased material.
  • Robert Hood gets minimal again image
  • Robert Hood is set to release a special edition of his seminal Minimal Nation album. The record, originally released as a vinyl double pack back in 1994, was one that inspired a whole generation of producers. Recalling the period when the album was made (just after he left the Underground Resistance collective), Hood explains that he was just "fooling around with the Juno 2 keyboard and...came across this chord sound; once I had that chord sound and a particular pattern I realized I didn't need anything else. In order to maximise the feeling of the music, sometimes we have to subtract." This new release will see the first time that the tracks from Minimal Nation have seen the light of day in digital formats, but wax fans will also be happy to know that they won't have to pay the now inflated prices for a copy on vinyl. As well as containing remastered versions the tracks from the original release, the package will also include two previously unreleased cuts, "Self-Powered" and "SH-101." ("Self-Powered" was one of the two tracks that only found its way onto the Axis test pressing (though completists will still have to shell out for a second hand copy to get the other track), while "SH-101" was a track from the same sessions that has never seen the light of day before. Buyers of either the vinyl or CD will also get the bonus of an exclusive mix CD compiled by Hood, which fuses tracks from Minimal Nation with other material from his Internal Empire, Nighttime World, and HoodMusic releases amongst others. There will also be a launch party for the record at Nitsa on June 18th (which happens to be during this year's Sonar festival), where Hood will be joined behind the controls by James Ruskin, Ben Klock and Detroit Grand Pubahs. We'll leave you with Hood's own words about the album: "Minimal Nation is not just a collection of rhythm tracks, but a supernatural work of art realized. I felt a strong sense of urgency to create a body of work that identified with what was placed on my heart, as opposed to what was on my mind. Regardless, of its diminutive nature, one should never underestimate the neural potency of minimalism." Tracklist 01. One Touch 02. Museum 03. SH-101 (unreleased) 04. Rhythm Of Vision 05. Unix 06. Ride 07. Station Rider E 08. Self Powered (previously on test pressing only) 09. Sleep Cycle 10. Rhythm Of Vision (original) M-Plant will release Minimal Nation on June 15th, 2009.

RA